2017 NBA Offseason First Week Breakdown

The first week of free agency is over and a lot of the major dominoes have fallen. Below I list all the noteworthy moves and give a short breakdown of each.

Trades

• Paul George traded to Thunder
  • Thunder: Paul George
  • Pacers: Victor oladipo & Domantas Sabonis
    • This was an excellent trade for the Thunder regardless of whether they can resign Paul George or not. It writes the wrong of signing Oladipo to a 5 year 80 million dollar deal and shows Westbrook the team is making an effort to compete which helps in the effort to convince him to resign. As for the Pacers there are reports that they turned down better offers but given the fact that George not only announced that he would not resign but that he wanted to go to the Lakers the Pacers trade options were limited. It may not have been the best deal they could’ve gotten but it wasn’t horrible either. They got two young assets that can help start the rebuilding process.
• Chris Paul traded to Rockets
  • Rockets: Chris Paul (opted into final year of his contract)
  • Clippers: Patrick Peverly, Lou Williams, Sam Dekker, 2018 1st rounder, Montrez Harrell, Darrun Hillard, DeAndre Liggins, Kyle Wiltjer
    • I like this move for both teams. From the Rockets perspective they get to rent CP3 for a year and see if he and Harden can co exist and on paper they add a second star which any team hoping to compete for a title needs. And at the end of the day it does not work out they got some salaries off the book for next year that will make it easier for them to go after a max free agent next summer.
• Jimmy Butler traded to T-Wolves
  • T-Wolves: Jimmy Butler, 16th overall pick
  • Bulls: Zach Lavine, Kris Dunn, 7th overall pick
    • Obviously this was a great deal for the T-Wolves. They pick up a top 15 perennial all-star player and they swap first round picks instead of fully losing a first rounder. It was truly well done. As for the Bulls I do not love the trade for them but I do not hate it either. My immediate reaction would be that we must wait and see how the players they got back develop. I really like Lauri Marrkanen who they picked with the 7th overall pick and Dunn was a top 5 pick last year who despite a down year still has a lot of potential. And Lavine was in the midst of a breakout year before tearing his ACL and could develop into an all-star caliber player. Plus I believe the Bulls goal is to tank next season so they needed to move Butler before the season and get rid of the vets to truly hit the reset button.
• Millsap signs with Nuggets and Gallinari with Clippers via Sign & Trade
  • Clippers: Danilo Gallinari – 3 years/$65 million
  • Nuggets: Paul Millsap – 3 years/$90 million
  • Hawks: Jamal Crawford, Diamond Stone, 2018 1st rounder (from LAC via Hou)
    • The Nuggets made a great move picking up Paul Millsap who along with Nikola Jokic form one of the top big man duos in the league. The Clippers lose Paul but given what they got from the Rockets and now signing Gallinari they are reloading not rebuilding and are still in a position to be competitive and make the playoffs next year. As for the Hawks it is always a great move to add value when for free agents you could lose for nothing. Picking up a future 1st and a young prospect in Stone were good moves and Crawford appears to be a buyout candidate.
• D’Angelo Russell traded to Nets
  • Nets: D’Angelo Russell, Timofey Mozgov
  • Lakers: Brook Lopez, 27th overall pick
    • This was a bitter sweet move for the Lakers and a necessary one. Unfortunately due to the incompetence of Jim Buss during the 2016 offseason, Magic Johnson had to sacrifice a prospect in Russell to unload the Mozgov contract so that they will be in position to go after max free agents next summer. Picking up a extra first and renting Lopez were pretty good compensation as well. As for the Nets this was an brilliant move. Having Mozgov’s contract isn’t a big deal for them as they were not gonna be major players in free agency in the next few years anyway meanwhile they pick up a top young PG prospect with all-star potential.
• Dwight Howard traded to Hornets
  • Hornets: Dwight Howard, 31st overall pick
  • Hawks: Marco Belinelli, Miles Plumlee, 41st overall pick
    • In an effort to start over and start the rebuilding process the Hawks let Millsap walk and shipped Dwight out of town without getting very much in return. They clearly are intent on starting a youth movement and were not very concerned with getting equal compensation.
    • The Hornets completely won this deal. Dwight may not be the star player he used to be but he is still a quality starting NBA center and a double double machine.
• Ricky Rubio traded to Jazz
  • Jazz: ricky Rubio
  • T-Wolves: 2018 1st rounder (via OKC)
    • I like this trade for both teams. The Jazz clearly did not want to get into the bidding war for George Hill so they settled for Rubio who is not that much of a downgrade and all they had to give up was a late first. Even if he can’t score his elite passing ability and off ball defense are a bargain at only 14 million/year over the next 2 seasons.
• C.J. Miles signs with Raptors via sign and trade
  • Raptors receive C.J. Miles – 3 years/$25 million
  • Pacers receive Cory Joseph
    • I like this move for the Raptors who are making an effort not to remain stagnent and tweak a roster that just has not been able to make any real progress when facing the Cavs in the playoffs. They definitely needed better shooting on the wing and Miles is one of the best in the league. As for the Pacers they plan to replace the Teague with the combination of Collison starting and now Joseph backing him up.

Unrestricted Free Agents

• Kevin Durant resigns with Warriors – 2 years/$53 million
  • Durant took a $9.5 million dollar pay cut in the first year of the deal to make room for Igoudala and Livingston and only signed for two years clearing the way for him to be eligible for the supermax in two years. It was a great deal for both parties.
• Stephen Curry resigns with Warriors – 5 years/$201 million
  • Curry becomes the highest paid player in the NBA and the first to sign a 200 million dollar contract and he’ll be worth every penny.
• Blake Griffin resigns with Clippers – 5 years/$173 million
  • Some thought Blake might leave but given his injury history he would’ve been crazy to turned down a guaranteed $173 million over 5 years.
• Kyle Lowry resigns with Raptors – 3 years/$100 million
  • With the East being so weak this was the right move by both teams. Who knows maybe just maybe one year Lowry might actually play well in the playoffs and the Raptors could make some real noise. Also this may be Lebron’s last year in the East which would open the door for the Raptors as a potential Finals team. The Raptors keep their window open with this resigning and I like that they didn’t go overboard and give him the five year max he could have gotten.
• Gordon Hayward signs with Celtics – 4 years/$128 million
  • The Celtics got the guy they primarily coveted and with the future assets they have in place I believe they could potentially be building something special. For Hayward this was definitely the right move as it gets him out of the over crowded west where he would’ve never made another all-star game nor out of the first round for the foreseeable future.
• Jrue Holiday resigns with Pelicans – 5 years/$126 million
  • This was a damned if you do, damned if you don’t signing for the Pelicans. With no cap space to sign other unrestricted free agents they had no choice but use the bird rights clause to keep Holiday if for no other reason than to have him as a future trading asset.
• George Hill signs with Kings – 3 years/$57 million
  • The Kings feel like they have all the peaces they need from rebuilding and now look to actually start building with this move. Hill can play either guard spot is a consummate professional that will help change the culture in Sacramento and teach their new franchise PG D’Arron Fox the ropes. I love this move for the Kings.
• Jeff Teague signs with T-Wolves – 3 years/$57 million
  • Traded for Jimmy Butler was the first domino and this move was the icing on the cake. I personally felt George Hill would have been a slightly better option but Teague is a good starting PG in his own right and a slightly better playmaker and scorer so I get the move.
• James Johnson resigns with Heat – 4 years/$60 million
  • This was a good signing for the Heat to keep their core together and try to make a run with everyone healthy. Johnson was one of the most improved players in the league posting career highs in points, rebounds, and assist.
• J.J. Redick signs with Sixers – 1 year/$23 million
  • This was a great move by the Sixers. They have their three young stars in place and Redick is a perfect veteran piece to surround them with. His elite shooting will help space the floor for those three to operate.
• Serge Ibaka resigns with Raptors – 3 years/$65 million
  • By giving Ibaka and Lowry both three year deals the Raptors clearly have a goal in sight. Compete for the next three years and then start over. Given the contracts they’re already committed to it was a good move by them.
• Dirk Nowitzki resigns with Mavericks – 2 years/$10 million
  • This move is a head scratcher. The Mavs are clearly rebuilding and Dirk clearly wants to retire a Maverick. With Dallas in no position to bring in a marque free agent the two sides should have come to an agreement on a one year farewell 20+ million dollar parting gift for the franchises greatest player. I just don’t get Dirk saving a team that is in no position to compete money or the Mavs for allowing him to do it.
• Andre Iguodala resigns with Warriors – 3 years/$48 million
  • Thanks to the unselfishness of Durant the Warriors were able to keep their core intact and are in prime position to win the title for the next two years without much resistance.
• Dion Waiters resigns with Heat – 4 years/$52 million
  • The Heat lost out on Gordon Hayward but Waiters an average of 13 mill per year is pretty good bargain and consolation prize.
• Rudy Gay signs with Spurs – 2 years/$17 million
  • This is essentially a one year prove it deal for Gay who took a little less to showcase his ability on a contender as he looks to prove to the NBA he can still play after a nasty Achilles injury. It could be a good fit as he is the type of potential small ball 4 they could use to help battle the Warriors “vaunted” death lineup.
• Zach Randolph signs with Kings – 2 years/$24 million
  • The Kings have a lot of young and undeveloped bigs so bringing in an accomplished veteran like Z-Bo was a great move. While Hill shows the backcourt the way Randolph will be a good leader for the young bigs in Sacramento to follow.
• Tyreke Evans sings with Grizzlies – 1 year/$3.3 million
  • I am not the biggest fan of Evans but I can become one for 3.3 million. That is easily one of the best bargains of the offseason for a team that was limited this offseason in terms of resources and cap space. Great move by the Grizz.
• Darren Collison signs with Pacers – 2 years/$20 million
  • The Pacers are in rebuild mode now with Paul George traded and Monta Ellis released. Collison will make for a fine stop gap PG while the rebuilding process begins.
• Patty Mills resigns with Spurs – 4 years/$50 million
  • This was a bad move by the Spurs. 12.5 million seems like a lot for a backup PG especially when the Pacers signed a better player in Collison at the same position for only 10 million per year and two years.
• Taj Gibson signs with T-Wolves – 2 years/$28 million
  • This was a good not great signing by the T-Wolves. I felt a guy like Patrick Patterson would be a better fit as this team needs more shooting but Gibson will be a really good addition especially on the defensive end and he can at least hit mid-range shots.
• Kelly Olynyk signs with Heat – 4 years/$50 million
  • The Heat definitely needed to add depth to their front line and Olnyk is a skilled offensive big that will help contribute immediately. The price tag is a little pricey for me and four years seems like a lot as well but such is free agency these days.
• Bojan Bogdanovic signs with Pacers – 2 years/$21 million
  • The Pacers needed a new SF after trading George and Bogdanovic appears to be the new man. Of course he is no PG13 but he is pretty good shooter and will help replace some of the scoring load left behind by George.
• Amir Johnson signs with Sixers – 1 year/$11 million
  • This was a good move for the Sixers. They get a much needed veteran big man to pair with all their young guys and they only had to give him a one year deal keeping their cap space flexible for the future.
• Patrick Patterson signs with Thunder – 3 years/$16.4 million
  • This was a great move by the Thunder especially at that price. The Thunder were in desperate need of more shooting and by picking up both George and now Patterson they got it. Westbrook should have a lot more space to operate this season.
• Nene resigns with Rockets – 3 years/$11 million
  • Nene will return to his role as backup center and at just over 3 million per year it’s a pretty good value.
• Kyle Korver resigns with Cavaliers – 3 years/$22 million
  • Why the Cavs would commit to more than one year for Korver when Lebron could walk next year is insane to me. If Lebron does leave the Cavs would be stuck with Korver for two more years at 7 million per as he continues to age and decline.
• Nick Young signs with Warriors – 1 year/5.2 million
  • There are concerns about whether or not Nick Young will fit into the Warriors culture but I do not think it will be much of an issue. He is a very good 3 point shooter and with so much talent around him he will get a lot of open looks.
• PJ Tucker signs with Rockets – 4 years/$32 million
  • The Rockets are all in for this season and Tucker’s versatility and prowess on defense should help them in the battles to come against the Warriors and Spurs.
• Aron Baynes signs with Celtics – 1 year/$4.3 million
  • I like this move for Boston. They were in desperate need of a quality big off the bench after losing Olynyk and Zeller and Baynes is just that. He will not wow you but he is one of the better backup centers in the NBA. He plays physical and is very good on the boards which is a huge weakness for the Celtics. He should be a big help come playoff time.
• Mike Muscala resigns with Hawks – 2 years/$10 million
  • The Hawks are in rebuild mode but retaining a quality rotation big that can hit 3’s for 5 million a year is a good deal for them.
• Langston Galloway signs with Pistons – 3 years/$21 million
  • The Pistons backup PG situation was a disaster last year so this was a much needed signing for them. Galloway isn’t a great playmaker but he can come off the bench and get buckets as a shooter.
• Shaun Livingston signs with Warriors – 3 years/$24 million
  • The Warriors somehow kept all their best bench guys and could somehow be even better next year.
• Zaza Pachulia resigns with Warriors – 1 year/$3.5 million
  • The Warriors clearly do not mind paying huge luxury tax to keep the championship roster together. Zaza plays his role for this team well and is a useful big body.
• David West resigns with Warriors – 1 year/minimum
  • Another Warriors vet who came back to win more titles.
• Jodie Meeks signs with Wizards – 2 years/$7 million
  • The Wizards bench was highly inconsistent last year and they need more reliable scoring from it. Meeks is a reliable three point shooter that should help.
• Ben McLemore signs with Grizzlies – 2 years/$10.7 million
  • McLemore never quite lived up to his potential in Sacremento but a change of scenery could be good for him. The Grizzlies did not have much cap room or a first round pick yet they were in desperate need of some youth. This was a good signing for them considering their lack of resources.
• Vince Carter signs with Kings – 1 year/$8 million
  • Some believed Carter would be looking to chase a title and take the vets minimum to join a contender but Carter said that is not his style and then got what is most likely his last pay day cashing in for $8 million to help bring some leadership and shift the culture in Sacremento.
• Shelvin Mack signs with Magic – 2 years/$12 million
  • The Magic have to use some of their cap space and Mack is a decent backup point guard who could be an upgrade over DJ Augustine who is coming off a very poor season.
• Justin Holiday signs with Bulls – 2 years/$9 million
  • After a year with the Knicks Holiday is going back to the Bulls to join their rebuilding efforts. He does not play much defense but he can shoot it a little.
• Omri Casspi signs with Warriors – 1 year/$2.1 million
  • This was a very underrated signing by the Warriors who clearly are looking to play even more small ball next season as they have opted to sign wings instead of suring up the center position.
• Michael Carter-Williams signs with Hornets – 1 year/$2.7 million
  • The Hornets need to figure out their backup PG situation. Neither Ramon sessions nor Brian Roberts were the answer maybe Carter-Williams can be.
• Jeff Green signs with Cavaliers – 1 year/2.3 million
  • While the Warriors appear to be doing everything right this offseason the Cavs on the other hand have yet to make one single move that will actually help next season. Green has regressed into a poor player that really provides very little positive on either end of the floor. The Cavs most likely are hoping that playing with Lebron and on a title contender can bring out the old Green but I fear he is lone gone.
• Jose Calderon signs with Cavaliers – 1 year/$2.3 million
  • I’m not sure what signing a washed up PG to old and slow to play the position anymore is going to do to help them but so far the Cavs have done absolutely nothing to get better.
• Mike Scott signs with Wizards – 1 year/ minimum
  • Low risk option who if he can return to level he played at in 2015 could be a steal at the veteran’s minimum price tag.

Restricted Free Agents

• Wizards resign Otto Porter by matching offer sheet from Nets – 4 years/$106 million
  • Porter is definitely overpaid but the Wizards really do not have much of a choice. Bad teams with a lot of cap space like the Nets made him the offer and the Wizards could either match or let him go. Porter is still getting better and who knows maybe one day he could actually be worth the contract.
• Joe Ingles resigns with Jazz – 4 years/$52 million
  • With Hayward headed to Boston Ingles was a must resign for the Jazz and he did not hesitate to take them up on the offer as the starting SF spot could now be his.
• Tim Hardaway Jr. agrees to offer sheet with Knicks – 4 years/$71 million (Hawks will not match)
  • Hardaway Jr. had the best season of his career and has developed into a nice player but the Hawks smartly decided not to match this ridiculous contract offered by the Knicks. Speaking of the Knicks they continue to show their incompetence as a franchise with another terrible signing in back to back offseasons.
• Tony Snell resigns with Bucks – 4 years/$46 million
  • Snell had by far the best season of his career and was a very good resign for the Bucks. He shot over 50% from 2 and 40% from 3 and will be a valuable cog in their rotation as they look to compete for a top 3 spot in the East next season.
• Cristiano Felicio resigns with Bulls – 4 years/$32 million
  • Not a household name but he has been a solid backup center who has some real potential for the Bulls. He averaged nearly 11 and 11 per 36 minutes last year and had a 126 offensive rating. If he can play more minutes and sill put up that production he can be worth 8 million per year.